George S. Flinn Jr. is widely known across the media broadcasting industry for his ownership of radio and TV stations in Mississippi, the Memphis market, and in Arkansas.
Now, he’s paring back his television assets. Concurrently filed deals indicate that he’s parting ways with three of them, with all going to the same non-secular operator.
Further, licensees Flinn has attributable interest in are selling their TV properties.
Could these deals be tied to his desire to serve as the Volunteer State’s next Senator, joining Marsha Blackburn?
Flinn is on the ballot as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, one of a host of declared candidates seeking a seat presently held by Lamar Alexander, who is not seeking reelection.
And, he’s one of three contenders, with Manny Sethi — President and founder of the non-profit Healthy Tennessee and an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center — and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty attracting the most attention, and donations.
Flinn is running as an anti-Washington candidate, seeking to tap into the Trump 2016 voter. But, he’s no first-timer when it comes to seeking a seat in Congress. In 2016 and in 2018 he lost primary races for a House of Representatives Member slot. He also failed to unset Alexander in the 2014 Senate race.
As Flinn’s campaign heats up, he’s moved forward with the sale of the following TV stations to Radiant Life Ministries:
- WWJX-23 in Jackson, Miss., for $1.65 million; an $80,000 escrow deposit, to be held by Kalil & Co.
- WBIH-29 in Selma, Ala., for $1.5 million; a $285,000 escrow deposit held by Kalil & Co.
- WFBD-48 in Destin, Fla., for $400,000; a $5,000 escrow deposit is being held by Kalil & Co.
In addition, Flinn is Managing Member of JSD Properties LLC, and that licensee is selling to Radiant Life KCWV-27 in Duluth, Minn. Flinn signed KCWV on the air in December 2006. He’s earning $1 million from KCWV’s sale. A $120,000 escrow payment is being held by Kalil & Co.
MEMPHIS DUO ALSO SPUN
In Memphis, Flinn has a licensee of a “Zombie” TV station.
There, his Broadcasting For The Challenged Inc. operates WWTW-23.2 in Senatobia, Miss., an entity that is in a channel-sharing agreement with a property in Memphis licensed to Christian Worldview Broadcasting Corp. — led by President Fred R. Flinn, WTWV-23.
WWTW went off the air as it was the receiver of a winning bid in the FCC’s Auction 1000 broadcast spectrum — the only winner in Memphis in the incentive auction. Flinn pocketed $485,661 from giving up WWTW’s broadcast signal.
Now, both WWTW and WTWV are going to new licensees — each with Flinn having at least some attributable interest.
WTWV is being sold to Faith Community Television for $800,000. A $5,000 deposit is being held by Kalil & Co.
The buyer is tied to Flinn — he is a 14.2% voteholder in the activities of Faith.
For WWTW, this property is being sold to Memphis Educational Television, of which Flinn also holds 14.2% voting power.
The sale price for WWTW is $375,000, reflecting its Channel-Sharing status. A $5,000 escrow deposit is also being held by Kalil for this deal.
Kalil did not serve as a formal broker in these transactions.
